Forty-five years ago, Budapest started to introduce the ČKD Tatra T5C5 tramways. These Czechoslovakian trams, manufactured exclusively for Budapest by the Prague-based ČKD Tatra company, represented a leap forward in urban mobility.
As the 1970s drew to a close, the Hungarian Ganz factory, the default supplier of the city, was increasingly slow in producing industrial articulated trams, and the Budapest Transport Company (BKV) needed new trams. Meanwhile, following a 1975 council of ministers’ decision, the reconstruction of Budapest’s tram network began, raising the possibility of sourcing the required new vehicles from other companies.
ČKD, already one of the world’s largest tram manufacturers, could offer the vehicles at a lower cost. Contact with the Smíchov factory was established within the year, and by early 1976, two demonstration trams arrived from Brno.
The first two prototypes arrived in 1979, and by 1980, a series of 170 trams had been put into service, followed by an additional 150 in 1984. These trams were a novelty in the capital, boasting a more spacious interior and the latest drive system technology compared to the previous Ganz trams, making their operation more economical. Their wider carriages necessitated city-wide track modifications to ensure safe passage.
The Tatra trams of Budapest are not just vehicles; they are moving monuments to the city’s commitment to progress and nostalgia. As we look forward to the future of urban transport, we also look back with fondness at the Tatra trams that have served Budapest faithfully for nearly half a century.
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